Janet Hansen (nee Abdullah) was born at Northam, approximately 100 kilometres north-east of Perth, and grew up in Williams, 200 kilometres south of Northam. Her mother’s people are of the Willman tribe. Her mother’s father, of the Nyadju people, was born in Balladonia. Her mother’s mother is from the Hart family of Collie. Her father’s mother was born in Esperance, and taken away to New Norcia. Her father’s father is from India; when he was a child he came to Australia as a stowaway on a boat, alighting at Geraldton. Her father (Jim Abdullah) was born in New Norcia (Wongi Indian). In 1961 Hansen married Ken Kickett and together they raised four children – two sons and two daughters.
Hansen, who works with synthetic polymer on canvas and pastels on paper, participated in her first exhibition at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University of Technology in Perth in 1997. She was also involved in creating a design for Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation’s 'Sea of Hands’ travelling installation when it was displayed at Langley Park in Perth in 1998 and 1999.
In 2009 Hansen was living in Perth and studying for a Certificate
III in Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft at the Kidogo Institute in Fremantle under the tutelage of Joanna Robertson. This same year she participated in a Kidogo Institute student group show, 'Moorditj Mob’, at Kidogo Arthouse. Also in 2009 Troy Bennell curated her into the exhibition 'Noongar Country’ at Bunbury Regional Art Galleries. Other artists in this group show included Wendy Hayden, Ronald Williams,
Lance Chad, Sharyn Egan, Iesha Farmer, Dolores Fraser (Jillawarra), Troy Bennell, Athol Farmer, Graham (Swag) Taylor and Laurel Nannup.
- Writers:
- Allas, Tess
- Date written:
- 2009
- Last updated:
- 2011
